The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1887-09-03
Baltimore and Her Critics.
From the Baltimore san.

From the Baltimore Sun.
A great deal is being said by the Republi-
can press of New York, Philadelphia and
other cities of the alleged dreadful condition OF
affairs in Baltimore, the cue having been given
by a supposed Democrat, who has since gone
over to the Republican party. But on COM
parison of facts these cities, on their own
showing. are worse off than Baltimore.
They are worse governed. Their municipal
administrations are more corrupt and less
efficient Their tax rate is higher, as is also
their death rate, while their standard OF Off
cial morality, as applied to their own affairs,
is lower. Baltimore's social condition may
excite their envy. Its working people, as a
rule, get fair wages, occupy decent houses,
with low rents, buy food at prices that com
pare flvorably with those of other cities,
have large public libraries and good schools
at their service, are In easy reach of numer-
GUS beautiful parks and open squares, where
fresh air is to be had, and in consequence are
contented, little given to strikes and never
qiyen to mob violence. Such outbreaks OF
socialistic fury as New York, Chicago and
San Francisco from time to time exhibit are
unknown here, and the dynamiter who has
his friends in those cities has no one to coun-
tenauce him among our people. Passing
from the classes whose misdeeds gauge the
competency and honesty of the local admin
istration to the municipal officials and the
fnanciers, capitalists and contractors who
come into relations with the city government,
we cannot but be struck with the fact that
Baltimore is free from the great scandals OF
corruption and thieying that disgrace the an.
nails of New York, Philadelphia, Boston and
| Chicago. We produce no Tweed, or Jacob
Sharp, or Cloughry. The boodler is rare
bird among us, and lean one when found.
! Our MAYORS have clean hands, unlike those Of
PHILADELPHIA in recent times. Our city
finances are well managed, as the price Of
Baltimore securities testihes. The heads OF
the various departments of our city govern
men are not from time to time defaulters fol
large amounts and fleeing the country. We
have no gas. trust wickedness, nor any of the
iniouitous implements by which politica
party preys on the citizens. Our public
buildings are constructed within the appropri
atoms made for them, and we nowhere have
that open fragrant defiance of morality ant
public right of which Squire, in New I ork
furnished an example. In word, our poll
tics, while not on as high plane as we coult
wish, is still on so high plane of respect TO
cardinal principles that we are free from grea
rascals who flourish at the oity's expense. |
our elections were ever so dishonesty conduct
ed, this is practical ultwhose value canno
be denied. We have no analogue of the no
torious dynasty of bosses in New York, o
McManes, of Philadelphia, Mclaughlin, o
Brooklyn, or Carter Harrison, Of Chicago
We have our rascals in politics, but they ar
kept small, and their profits at the public ex
pense are of trihing amount compared witt
the plunderings of the ruling spirits of tn
+ cities whose journals undertake to rebuk
Baltimore in so vicious manner. In fact
our city treasury has nothing to fear so mucl
as those pretended purists among us who ar
! VIGOROUSLY associated with schemes Of cor
porate greed, and whose sole occupation TO
months past has been to blacken the goo'
name of Baltimore. Our method for selectin
candidates for office, as well as our method
of voting for them, are vastly better than thos
that prevail where oEp outside critics reside
We have no Tammany Hall, pcr any sucl
associations as Mr.. Johnny 0'Brien leads, +
name the men for whom the party must vote
but a primary election does that WORK. In
word, our critics, by their asserting to o
permitting enormous political, social an
other evils at home, are disqualified for tn
delicate task of correcting the comparativel
triAing evils prevalent here.